'Now is the time to stop Future Fit' says Telford council leader
Health bosses were today urged to rethink proposals to revamp the county's major hospitals with plans "from a pre-Covid world".
Major progress is expected in 2021 on proposals to re-shape services at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Princess Royal Hospital in Telford.
The long-awaited submission of a business case for the 'Future Fit' plans is expected, triggering a project that will cost more than £500 million.
The proposals, which have the backing of local health bosses, would see significant changes to the services at the two hospitals, which are managed by the Shrewsbury & Telford Hospital NHS Trust.
But a long-term critic of the plans, Telford & Wrekin Council Leader Shaun Davies, today urged those driving the process to pause and review before it is too late.
He has argued that the impact of the pandemic could leave the NHS spending hundreds of millions of pounds on a plan created without considering the impact of the Covid-crisis.
He also spoke of the impact of the Ockenden Review, which recently provided damning evidence of poor care in maternity at hospitals in the county.
He said: "They need to review the plans entirely because in the world post-Covid, and healthcare post-Covid, there is a world of difference to how it was a year ago.
"We need to understand the implications of what has happened. We also need to understand the implications of the Ockenden Review and how that affects women and children's services. There is new management in place so we need to understand how that works."
Councillor Davies said the increasing cost of the project was also an issue, adding: "The other side of the coin is since they pressed the button with Future Fit the costs have increased up to half a billion pounds.
"Are they looking to build a pre-Covid hospital solution in a post-Covid world? It could end up costing an absolute fortune and not being fit for the future."
The plans, which have been agreed by local health bosses and backed by several of Shropshire's MPs, would see Shrewsbury become home to the county's only 24 hour A&E.
Consultant-led women and children's services would also move from Telford to Shrewsbury, with PRH becoming a centre for planned care.
Both elements have been met with criticism from Telford politicians, who argue the town's size and rate of growth make the plans unacceptable.
Health bosses have however said that the solution is the only way to tackle the continuing problems faced by the trust, particularly in relation to recruitment.
